Iran and Russia clash over nuclear sanctions

Iran and Russia have clashed over Tehran's nuclear programme after the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched an extraordinary attack on a country that has traditionally been one of his few allies.

Andrew Osborn in Moscow

8:00PM BST 26 May 2010

Throwing diplomatic nicety to the wind, Mr Ahmadinejad used a televised speech to heap strongly-worded criticism on Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian President, for Moscow's apparent support for a new US-backed round of sanctions against Tehran in the United Nations.

"Today it has become very difficult to explain Mr Medvedev's behaviour to our people," the Iranian leader railed. "Iranians do not understand whether they (the Russians) are our neighbour and friend standing by our side or are after other things."

Threatening to add Russia to Iran's list of historical enemies if things did not change, he advised President Medvedev to tread carefully, suggesting the Kremlin chief "act more cautiously and "think more."

His comments followed an American claim that Russia and China have signed up to a draft sanctions resolution to punish Iran for its nuclear programme.

The Kremlin responded to his comments with ill-concealed anger, suggesting Mr Ahmadinejad refrain from what it called "political demagoguery."

Sergei Prikhodko, the Kremlin's top foreign policy adviser, also scornfully dismissed an Iranian claim that Russia was pro-American and hinted that the Iranian leader should tread carefully himself if he wanted to stay in power.

"Any unpredictability, any political extremism, lack of transparency or inconsistency in taking decisions that affect and concern the entire world community is unacceptable for us," he warned. "It would be good if those who are now speaking in the name of the wise people of Iran ... would remember this."

Russia and China have traditionally shielded Iran from US pressure but are showing signs of losing patience with Tehran despite Iran's last minute offer to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a confidence-building deal.